The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an external to bagging mechanical clamp.
Core crushing is a problem with autoclave curing of honeycomb panels at higher pressures. Honeycomb panels are typically formed of materials used to increase panel stiffness and are configured with a core made of honeycomb-shaped cells and a ramp at the core periphery. During assembly, the core is placed onto a tool and sandwiched between upper and lower laminates, which are squeezed together by, for example, a vacuum bag. Core crushing occurs when the pressure applied by the vacuum bag overcomes a strength of the core material and crushes the core against the tool. The height of the core, the core ramp angle, the position of the core and the maximum expected operating pressure (MEOP) all play into non-crush versus core crush results.
In particular, core crush often occurs when one or both of the laminates is permitted to move relative to the other laminate during the pressurization. This ply/panel movement tends to be directed toward the center of the core at the center of the tool and increases a degree of pressurization at the center of the core. Therefore, efforts to avoid crush results have often been concerned with preventing ply/panel movement. These efforts have included manufacturer use of grip strips and/or manufactured inserts to resist ply/panel movement but require that additional ply/panel material be provided at additional costs.